I Take Thee
by Windigo
Summary: Wedding bells are ringing for Kagome, but who's waiting for her at the end of the aisle...?


Disclaimer: I don't own Kagome or any of her crew, although once I takeover the world, I plan on owning everything…. $__$

A/N: This is my first Inuyasha fic! Just as a warning, I'm a major supporter of Miroku and Sango.  Also, what other pairing could be perfect but Kagome and….wait, you'll have to read this fic to find out! ^__~ Enjoy!

BTW, this ~^~ signals a flashback…just to let you know…stupid italics won't work…

~^~^~^~^~

I Take Thee… 

~^~^~^~^~

Warm sunlight filtered through shoji screen, illuminating the darkened room at every angle possible, including the sleeping face of its only occupant.

It wasn't the morning glow that woke her up, but the cheerful twittering birds heralding another spring morning. Muttering under her breath, Kagome tried to curl even deeper into the covers, but her mind resisted the urge to fall asleep again.

She had barely gotten any shuteye any way, since her excitement at the dawning of this particular day swept out any true sleep she had hoped to get.  Kagome smiled into her pillow, wondering how she would be able to make it through the morning.  After all, it wasn't as if she got married every day.

"Kagome-chan! Are you awake yet?"

"Come on in," Kagome called out.  She blinked away the fuzziness that crowded her head in preparation for what sounded like a very upbeat version of her friend.

"What are you still doing in bed?" Sango exclaimed as she bustled in, a tray balanced under one arm, "There's still so much to do! You still have to have breakfast, bathe, then we have to do your hair and your makeup—"

"Sango, I think you're more excited about this than I am!" Kagome commented with a smile, yawning and stretching out her stiff muscles.  She wasn't used to sleeping on futons, but someone had yet to invent mattresses in the feudal era, so she was stuck with what there was.

"Oh, don't be silly. I just can't wait to give my speech at dinner," She teased.  The tray was deposited at the side of the bed, and she pointed at the various bowls. "Now Kaede made this especially for you, and she told me to warn you that if everything isn't eaten, then she'll put a spell on your dress."

"How kind of her. And I'm sure you'll threaten me with something too."

Sango placed her hands on her hips, and smiled ominously. " I'm a little out of practice, but I'm sure I can manage something.  Now hurry up and eat. Kaede's getting the bath ready for you and you don't want wash in cold water, do you?"

Kagome shook her head, her mouth already full of steamed rice.  With a laugh, Sango skipped out of the room, leaving her friend to her own devices for the time being.

The former Shikon shard detector sighed, and dug into the other bowls.  Surprisingly, she felt ravenous even though the nerves in her stomach were flipping and flopping around. And Kaede's cooking was some of the best food she could ever remember eating.  Rivalled, of course, by her mother's.

The thought of her mother dulled Kagome's eyes a little.  As much as she had wanted her wedding in her own time, it would have meant leaving all her friends here, and she couldn't do that to them, especially after all they went through together. 

It would have also meant leaving her husband-to-be in the feudal era, and that would have proved to be a problem too.  There was nothing they could do, unless the old necklace that Inuyasha donned was used once again, and it had been lost a while ago. But her family had understood, and her mother had made her promise to come back and model off her wedding garb.  It was a promise Kagome was all too happy to agree to.

Luckily, as a wedding present, Kaede was trying to create a way of being able to transport him through the well.  So far, she had had some success, though no big breakthroughs yet.

'As long as he can come and visit my family with me eventually, that's all that matters,' Kagome thought. 

Footsteps suddenly echoed down the hallway, and Kagome gulped down the last of her tea before throwing a yukata over her nightgown.  She quickly burst out the door, carrying the much lighter tray before Sango could harass her for not moving fast enough. 

It wasn't an over-excited Sango who nearly careened into her, but a smiling Kaede who took the tray from her hands.  

"Your bath is ready."

"Thank you," Kagome replied.  She listened carefully as the old woman led her down the small hallway into the baths, but she couldn't hear anything.

"What happened to Sango?"

"She has gone to make sure everything is in order, and to pick up your garments from the tailor's. She informed me that she will not be long."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "She shouldn't overdo herself like this."

"Even if I had tried, I would not be able to slow her down," Kaede commented wryly. "Do you need anything else?" 

"I should be fine."

"A bath will always relax your spirits, child, so use this time wisely," She advised, and gently shut the door behind her.

The steaming water smelled faintly of jasmine and Kagome slid into the water with a contented sigh.  Kaede was right, a bath had been just what she needed.  Here, she could let all her troubles and worries dissipate into the heated water that surrounded her. Heaven knows it had been a while since she had had time to herself like this…

Had it only been six months since the defeat of Naraku and then _his_ proposal? It felt like ages ago, back in a time when worry as all they did. They had been hot on the demon's trail for a while, and the final confrontation had rocked all of their worlds.  No one had emerged from that battle without a few new scars to add to their collection.

She sunk lower into the wooden tub, the water rising to her chin, and Kagome started to clean herself off with the soap that she had brought back from her world.  Her mind drifted to the aftermath of the battle almost automatically, for it hardly seemed believable—even after all this time—that after the many years they had spent hunting Naraku down, he was finally gone.

The entire group had sat around a fire that Kouga and his tribe had built in shock, trying to register that the evil demon was finally dead.  Well, not the entire group exactly.  Sango had been hurt badly in the fight against her brother and although she survived, her brother had been brought down along with his controlling master.  She had not joined the group since she had stumbled out of the woods, carrying her brother's lifeless body in her battered arms, and passed out at their feet. Kirara was also missing, at her mistress's side no doubt comforting her.

There was hardly any talk besides menial conversation, until Kouga had taken the empty seat beside her.  Suddenly, Inuyasha had been in his face, and they had begun throwing the usual insults at each other.  Kagome remembered that this time, the fighting seemed a little half-hearted though, due to the exhaustion that everyone was suffering from. She had snuck out of their feud, just in time to catch Miroku creeping away quietly in Sango's direction.  

Hoping the monk could help her friend, Kagome realized she was now stuck with the two bickering men and tried to find her salvation.  Shippo was napping in her sleeping bag; Kouga's tribe was either talking among themselves, or dozing off.  It was no use; there was nowhere to hide from what would most likely amount to a battle over her as always.

Blushing, Kagome remembered how protective he had been that night, even despite his usual arrogance and pride over his claims on her.  Who would have thought he would have gotten the courage up to admit everything to her?

"Kagome, are you still in that bathtub? You do have a wedding to attend to in a few hours, if you haven't forgotten!"

"I'm just finishing up, Sango," Kagome replied, and regretfully exited the warm water.  It was as though the water had fought off her nerves for as soon as her feet touched the ground they once again tightened in her stomach.

She emerged from the bath and found a rather impatient Sango holding her wedding clothes.  "Weren't you ever told if you stay in the bath too long, you'd turn into a prune?"

"Do I look like a prune to you?"  Kagome retorted. "I wasn't in there that long, Sango-chan."

Sango gave a very unladylike snort.  "If I had been gone any longer, you might have been. The tailor was a little delayed but she managed to tighten the seams a little, like she said she would last night."

"Really? Remind me to thank her after this.  Thanks for getting it, but just don't too much, please.  As it is, you should probably be resting right now."

"Now don't you start again," Sango warned, waggling her finger at her friend. "I will not stop moving just because of this.  It's not like walking will kill me or anything."

Kagome's face softened as they went back to her room.  She remembered a time when Sango had almost been killed, and she would have lost her closest friend in this place. Even now, her heart lurched a little at that thought.

Almost as if she was reminding Kagome that she was alive—and always ready for action—Sango sat the bride-to-be down smartly on the futon and called Kaede in to help with the make-up. 

The women worked on Kagome, carefully applying creams and paints to her face.  She had at first shied away from the idea of make-up, since she hardly ever wore it.  But with Sango's insistence, she had finally given in.  The threat of being tied down if nothing else worked had been a good enough incentive as it was.

"How are you feeling, child?" Kaede asked carefully.

Kagome shrugged—or as much as someone who was being worked on by two people could shrug. "A little nervous, though I guess that's to be expected. And a little anxious to get the ceremony over with."

"Only anxious over the ceremony? Not about anything else?"

The young woman frowned at Sango, whose mischievous smile made her face glow. Kagome was secretly overjoyed to see the demon exterminator so happy, even if it was at her expense.  It had taken a while before the smile had returned to her face.

"Well, maybe I am a little anxious over other things, but nothing I'm going to share with you," Kagome replied, mock-offended. 

Sango merely grinned at Kaede.  "Don't worry, I'll get the details out of her later."

"I have no need for that information," Kaede replied, finishing up with the paint on her eyes. "Now, what have we decided for the hair?"

As Sango showed the old woman exactly what was planned, Kagome gazed at her wedding garb, hanging up by the mirror.  If someone had told her two, three years ago that she would be getting married in the feudal era to someone who couldn't quite be considered human, she would have called them crazy.  But here she was, getting her hair done by a miko and a temporarily retired demon exterminator, preparing to marry a man who had come into her life simply because she had fallen down a well.

'Not fallen exactly,' Kagome thought dryly, 'More like dragged down.'

"Do either of you know how the men are doing?" Kagome asked nonchalantly, breaking away from her thoughts.  

"Curious are we? Although I didn't see your intended, I did manage to catch Miroku. He assured me they were all doing just fine, although a little recovery had been needed after their night." Sango twisted a lock of dark hair onto her friend's hair and pinned into place. The hairstyle they had planned looked a lot less complicated then it really was. "He gave me his word as a monk that they had were being good though. As if that means anything."

Kagome giggled, trying not to show the pain that was shooting through her head.  And she had to get through the rest of this day with her hair like this!

A small mew signalled the arrival of a newcomer, and the women turned to greet the demon cat that trotted into the room.  Kirara dropped the small note that she held onto Kagome's lap, then curled up beside her, purring softly.

She read the words once, then twice, her heart lifting even higher as the note from her groom put some of her anxieties at rest. To read that someone like him was just as worried eased her fears considerably.

"Well? What does it say then?" Sango interrupted, pinning the small white flowers in her friend's hair. 

"He said that he's leaving me for a big-chested blonde he met last night."

"What?!" Sango cried, snatching the note from Kagome's fingers. "Why the sorry bast…wait a minute, you liar!"

She tossed it at Kagome and scowled.  "You had me fooled for a second, Kagome-chan."

"As was I," Kaede remarked, prying her attentions away from Kirara to shake her head at Kagome. "Your hair is finished. Now all that is needed is your outfit."

Kaede brought the garb down from its hangar and gestured to Kagome to undress.  She went behind a screen and carefully donned the silky kimono that she had had made especially for this day.  It was unheard of for a woman to wear a dress in the feudal era, especially for her wedding, and Kagome had resorted to the traditional kimono.  

Smoothing the white silk down, she ran her hands over the embroidered patterns on the sleeves. Flowers and cranes swooped down the entire length of the fabric, and smaller flowers were carefully stitched onto the obi. 

Kagome gave a little twirl for the women, and blushed as they both glowed, marvelling at how lovely she looked.  It was short-lived though, for suddenly a pair of male voices could be heard from outside the window.

"I'll take care of it," Sango growled, and ushered her friend behind the screen again.  Nevertheless, Kagome peered around to catch a glimpse of what was happening.

"What do you think you're doing here?" She demanded as she walked to the window, arms across over her chest.

"No—nothing. We were just going for a walk," Someone who sounded suspiciously like Miroku stammered. "Sango, really, it's all just—"

A loud slap reverberated through the room, and Kagome had to stifle a giggle as Sango withdrew her hand from outside the window.  "Nothing is every innocent with you, Houshi-sama. Now get going!"

Whatever the monk had to say was lost on Kagome, because Sango drew the shoji screen over the window. 

"Lets get you ready before anyone else gets any bright ideas."

~^~^~^~

"It looks…beautiful," Kagome marvelled.

"So do you, Kagome-chan," Sango added, resting an arm around her friend's shoulder. They stood in front of the mirror that Kaede had dragged into the room, smiling at their reflections. 

Kagome resisted the urge to start giggling madly, amazed at the job her friends did.  The make-up was light, and hardly noticeable, complimenting the elaborate hairdo that they had created. Small white flowers were woven into her dark hair, the contrast striking and effective.

Of course, her kimono took the cake, for once it had been wrapped around—the obi had tightened it further—it had complimented her slim figure, and made her look more graceful than she usually felt.

"It suits you perfectly," Sango sighed happily.  She had been anticipating this day for a while, and—so far—it was turning out just the way she had hoped it would.  Her friend deserved today, as did the groom.  They had gone through hell and high water to arrive here; ready to spend what she hoped would be a life that was free of worry, but not dull. 'Marrying a guy like that, it's not possible to live a boring life,' The demon exterminator thought, amused at the notion of seeing him all dressed up and nervous for once. 

"I'm sure you'll turn a few heads," Kagome said giving her friend a once over.  The bronze-coloured kimono was specifically designed to accommodate Sango's protruding belly, and the obi was much thinner to make it more comfortable.  But despite being pregnant, Sango had insisted that she wanted to escort Kagome to the altar, and there was nothing Kagome could do to change her mind. 

"There's only one head I better turn, or he's going to get another mark on his face to match the one he has already," Sango muttered, resting a hand on her stomach for a moment as she thought of her wayward husband.  Seeing as he was the only religious figure in the area, Kagome had asked him to officiate the wedding.  A task Sango prayed he wouldn't screw up.

A soft rapping at the door broke into both of their thoughts.

"Who is it?"

"Just a humble monk who has come to collect the bride and her attendant."

Speak of the devil…they both exchanged a look as Sango let the man in, suspecting other motives than those stated. But since he had married her best friend, Kagome had noticed a change in the monk's usual ways.  Rather than focussing his perverted nature on any girl he met, he now aimed it only at one. Oh well, at least it was a change…

"You both look…amazing," Miroku said, a grin widening on his face as he took in the two beautiful women standing before him; one a close companion, the other carrying his child.  There were times when he wondered how he had gotten so lucky.

"Right answer," Sango murmured leaning into the arm he had slipped unconsciously around her shoulders.  "Is everyone ready?"

The monk nodded, tightening his hold. He was reminded of his own wedding day, and the sentimentality of it all got to him even though he refused to show it. "Just waiting for the bride now."

They both looked at Kagome, and she smiled at them.  "If its okay with you, I just need a few minutes to myself."

"I'll go inform the guests that it will only be a moment."  Miroku leaned down, gave his wife a peck on the cheek and sent her a not-so discreet wink. "I shall look forward to seeing you there."

Sango waved him out, and turned to her friend, who's troubled eyes gave more away than she could ever say.  Wrapping her arms gently around her friend, Sango murmured into her ear.  "No worries, Kagome-chan. There is nothing that could ruin this day."

"What—what if I made the wrong decision? What if he wasn't the one?" Kagome whispered. "What if this is all a mistake?"

"Remember what you told me on my wedding day? No? You told me that my decision had been made from my heart, and that the heart never makes a mistake when it chooses love."

Kagome sniffled, wiping at a stray tear.  "I said that?"

"Yes, and I think it's time you took your own advice." Sango grabbed her shoulders and gave them a pat.  "Now I'm going to go make sure my husband doesn't try to sneak a rice ball.  Just tell Kirara when you're ready to come out, and I'll meet you at the front door."

Kagome nodded, brushing the last of the tears from her cheeks as she turned to the mirror, too lost in thought to notice Sango's departure.  Her eyes were a little red, but the makeup held and she thanked the Gods that the feudal era had at least gotten waterproof eye paints right.  As she gazed at her white-clad figure, she couldn't help but drift back again, into the shadows of memories she would always cherish.

That very same night, all those months back, with Naraku's death weighing heavily on all their minds, she had been forced to make the biggest decision of her life.

Both Kouga and Inuyasha had stopped in the heat of the fight to realize that Kagome was running away from them as discreetly as she could.  Both pairs of eyes burning, they turned to her and asked a question she was trying to avoid answering herself. Who would she choose to stay with? The hanyou, the wolf leader, or refuse them both and remain in her own time?

She already knew—what with the Shikon no Tama nearly completed—that this particular question would pop up sooner or later, but she hadn't expected it to be so soon.

They had pressed her, insulting each other as they went, and it was all she could do from strangling both of them.  Even now, she still wondered how she had avoided from physically hurting them.  She had rested on insulting them instead, pissed off more at the moment they had chosen to ask and her own stresses on the subject.

Wincing at her memory, Kagome recalled calling Kouga and Inuyasha hopeless, self-serving bastards who only wanted her for her Shikon shards.  Deep down, she knew that it wasn't true for at least the wolf leader, but her anger at not having Inuyasha acknowledge her for anything more had built up to explode at them both.

Angry with them and with herself, she had stormed off into the woods, not caring about the dangers that inhabited the forests at night.  The last thing she had heard was Inuyasha and Kouga arguing once again, over God knows what.

Kagome smoothed down the sleeve of her kimono, shaking her head at the memories.  A small jingle of a bell sounded as Kirara leapt off her perch and started rubbing up against her legs.  A small white bow adorned the demon cat's neck now, the source of the bell. It had been Sango's only other chance to dress the poor cat up, and she had taken quick advantage of it.

"You can tell them I'm coming," Kagome murmured, and watched the two tails disappear out the door as her mind wandered once more.

~^~

It was dark in those woods, and it wasn't long before Kagome cursed her stupidity as she stumbled over unseen logs and roots.

Collapsing on what she hoped was a log, she fought back the angry tears that threatened to slide down her face. It wasn't as though the pressure from the two men was what frustrated her.  It was the lack of decision on her part; she had often dreamed of what she would do when Naraku was defeated and the Shikon no Tama was completed, but for some reason all those dreams flew out the window.  Nothing compared to this reality.

She knew she had to make the choice of either staying in the feudal era or return to her own time.  Once the jewel was completed, she would hand it over to Kaede, and then what? Stay in the feudal era, trying to learn how to survive in a time when plumbing was still non-existent? Or go back to her own time, and leave behind all the close friends she had made?

Images of Shippo snoozing on the back of her bike came to mind; of Sango riding by on Kirara, hunting down the latest youkai; of Miroku's wandering hand and his quick smile that always managed to make a situation seem a little less hopeless. Of Kaede and the villagers who she had aided in the past.  Of Kouga and his pack. 

And especially, of Inuyasha, his stubbornness, his temper, and his never-ending ability to always make her want to scream, "sit" at the top of her lungs.

Such fond memories…

Kagome sighed, burying her head in her hands as she wished for some help in answering the question.  

So of course, that prayer just asked for trouble.  And trouble she got, in the form of one of her aggravating male companions that she had yelled at just moments before. 

"What…what are you doing here?" She sniffled, hiding her face from him as she wiped away the remains of tears.

She could feel his eyes burning into her back, and tried hard to keep from shivering.  

"I wanted to know why you were so angry."

"It's nothing, really.  I'm just tired that's all."

"Hmph," He snorted, "You're not a very good liar.  Was it something one of us said?  If it was because of that sorry piece of—"

"Please, just stop insulting him for one second! I don't understand what you have against him anyways. So he's a friend of mine, big deal! It's not like either of you have a claim on me. After all, once the jewel is completed, I won't be needed here anymore," She added quietly.  

"Who told you that?" He demanded angrily but she refused to answer, burrowing further into her arms.

A hand grasped her shoulder tightly and she felt herself spun around into very close proximity with him.  The quick motion and the lack of space between them made her head feel a little lighter as she gazed into glittering  eyes.

 "Who told you that you weren't needed?" He repeated, softer this time and the gleam melted from his eyes.

She bit her lip, fighting back those damn tears that seemed to dance at the edges of her vision.  "No one told me.  I just assumed that everyone would be getting on with their lives, now that Naraku's dead, and I need to get on mine. I've got school to think of, and a future career to worry about. At least I can always visit on weekends," Kagome tried to say cheerfully, but she couldn't muster up one of her usual smiles. 

The look on his face surprised her the most.  She had never seen him look so…forlorn.  "So that's it? After all of this, you'll only come back to visit when you're up to it?"

Her nod was enough of an answer and he suddenly turned away from her, glaring into the darkness. 

I guess I made my decision, Kagome thought.  Though she wondered why it left her heart aching.

"And what happens when you meet new friends, go on further in life? What then, Kagome? Will you forget about us then?"

"I could never forget you, or anyone else!" She cried, taken back by the very idea of it.  How could he even think she'd be able to forget about her time here? 

'Because, eventually, you will,' A small voice whispered menacingly in her mind, and she tried to fight it.  But the truth still rang in her mind as she adjusted to the awkward silence that had fallen over them.  After all, marriage and a family would take up her time, not to mention a career, education, friends. The well would probably have to be sealed up too, since it was beginning to get a little old, and Grandpa wasn't taking care of it as well as he used to.  

Her heart ached even more, and she brought her knees up to her chest to try and warm the chill that had befallen her skin.  Why had it gotten cold all of a sudden?

"I… I should get back and see how Sango is doing."

Kagome's voice seemed to break the stillness, and his head whipped up just in time to see her begin to walk away.

"Wait," he whispered, reaching out to grab her hand.  "Sango can take care of herself, even with that pervert around.  I need to ask you something before you go back."

"Alright."

He paused, whether to gather his breath or courage, Kagome wasn't too sure.  His hand felt a little too warm in her own. 

"What if you had a good reason to stay here? A really good reason to stay?"

She shrugged, a little confused by his question. "Well, it would have to be important to me to stay.  It would take a lot to give up my family."

"Would I be a good enough reason to stay?"

Her breath caught in her throat, and she suddenly felt like sitting down to stop the thumping of her heart.  What was he trying to say?

"Kagome, listen to me," He pleaded, snatching up her other hand, forcing her to face him fully.  "You're needed here, by all those people you've helped, by your friends.  By me."

"But what could I do? Live out in the woods, pretending to be apart of a time that doesn't even have television? Maybe have a couple of cats on the side?" She tried to draw her herself away from his intoxicating scent that somehow seemed even more potent in the midnight air. "All of that just so I meet up with you now and again? I don't think so."

He growled in what sounded like frustration.  "I didn't mean it like that! I meant…" He trailed off, unable to come up with what he truly wanted to say.

"So now you're at loss for words.  I'm heading back now, and if you remember what you have to say to me, then you can tell me later."

Kagome couldn't understand why she was so angry with him, but she just needed to get away from those imploring eyes.  Then she'd be able to look at this reasonably, and understand what was going on. 

"No, you're not getting away from me that easily."

She tugged both hands free of his and backed up one, two steps. "Watch me."

Suddenly, his hands shot out and grabbed her by the arms, pulling her forward into a warm embrace. Kagome barely had a second to blink before he brought her even closer into a circle of warmth. 

 "This is why you should stay," He murmured into her ear, and his lips descended onto hers.

Frozen in place by the pounding in her ears and the strange feeling of warm lips on her own, Kagome could do nothing but lose herself in the torrent of emotions that were literally sweeping her away. She had never imagined that kissing him like this could be so exhilarating.

It ended almost as quickly as it had begun as he pulled away gently, his hands relaxing on her forearms.  There were no words to describe the way her insides seemed all twisted up inside, nor the blush that felt as though it were permanently stained on her cheeks.

"You haven't said what I need to hear," Kagome murmured back, clinging to his shirt. Every part of her ached to hear those words she had hoped to hear from him.

"I need you," He whispered—wondering how easily those few words were coming out.  He rested his forehead against hers, continuing with his newfound vocabulary.  "I want you here, by my side. Always."

He dropped a kiss on her mouth, quick, sweet and sure.  "Kagome, I love you."

Unable to contain it any longer, she giggled madly, eyes shining as she flung her arms around his neck. "You don't know how long I've wanted to hear that coming from you."

He laughed along with her, swinging her around in joy, unable to contain his excitement at her response. Never had he dreamed she respond like this!  "So you'll stay here with me? Start a family, become my mate?"

"Of course, moron! I love you too!" Kagome tightened her hold—if that were physically possible—and buried her face into his shoulder.  Could he have picked a better moment?  Well, maybe…but for some reason, none of that really mattered anymore.  

Finally, they managed to draw away from each other long enough to smile, the slivers of moonlight descending onto his handsome face. 

"What about the other one?" He asked gently, trying desperately to hide his jealousy even though he knew he had won. 

Kagome rested a hand on his cheek, trying to assure him of her love in every way possible.  "There were times when I liked him, other times when I was sure the feelings I had were deeper than I thought.  And he'll always be a friend, something you'll have to accept.  But," She said quickly, noticing his smile fall a little, "Whenever I tried to figure out what to do, my mind always brought back your face."

He grinned mischievously, leaned down and swept her into his arms in one flashy movement. "I think I can stand him, now that he won't be able to lay claim to you anymore."

"He never did," Kagome interjected, resting her head on his shoulder, amazed by the distance they had finally achieved after all this time.  "It was always you."

~^~

'And now look where we are,' Kagome marvelled, shuffling through Kaede's modest home and out the door. 'About to spend the rest of our lives together.'

The thought was enough to warm her inside out, and she didn't realize she had a silly grin on her face until Sango made a comment about bride-to-bes and their girlish fancies.

"As I recall, you weren't all that manly on your wedding day," Kagome retorted as they made their way to the garden behind the house.  The nerves were doing some dancing in her stomach, but she tried to quench them.  It wouldn't do any good to faint now.

Sango tried her hardest to glare at her friend, but it was no use.  It was too joyful of a day to resort to insults.

"So are you ready?" Sango asked instead, "All fears laid to rest?"

"I've never been so certain in my life," Kagome replied, knowing that her heart spoke the truth.  Perhaps there were doubts, but wouldn't any woman have worries on her wedding day?  Sango certainly had, but they had turned just fine and now she was expecting her first baby.

Life had a cycle, and when one moment ended, another one began.  And Kagome was ready to move on, ready to take the leap into the unknown, just as long as he was by her side the entire trip through.

She walked under a tiny trellis—decorated in beautiful flowers—that they had rigged, and Kagome could suddenly see the entire group, waiting for her arrival. Her hands clutched harder at the small bouquet of flowers Kaede had created for her.  

Miroku looked up from his book, smiled and gave a nod of his head.

Sango began walking forward, and Kagome took a moment to survey the small crowd.  Kirara had taken her place next to a groomed and well-dressed Shippo, who was sitting proudly at the front.  Kaede and a few of the villagers they knew were sitting in various places.  There were also people whom she had gotten to know by travelling the land looking for the Shikon shards, as well as others that had aided them in their quest.

She looked for the other one, the one she had lost as a lover but hoped to keep as a friend.  Her heart sunk a little when she realized that there was a vacant seat near the front, and she wished he had managed to find a way to understand and support her on the most important day of her life.

But then her eyes drifted to the man at the front, waiting beside the monk, smartly dressed in a fine dark blue and black outfit traditional of most wedding garments.  He had ditched the usual outfit—something she thanked the Gods for.  After all, if she had to dress up, so did he. 

Suddenly, nothing mattered except getting to his side and Kagome started her walk down the makeshift aisle, eyes glued to her groom.  She even missed seeing Miroku's hand sneak out and give Sango a quick pat on the rear, for which he received a thwack on the head with a small bouquet of flowers.  All that she could see was the man waiting at the end of her walk, watching her every move.

Eternity didn't seem like a long enough time to describe the moment before she finally reached the end. Nervous, Kagome handed Sango the flowers, and turned to her husband-to-be, managing a small smile.

His hands grasped hers gently, rubbing the backs with his thumb, reassuring her.  But it was in those eyes of his where she found her solace.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the union of these two before me," Miroku began, and as he started the ceremony, Kagome took one last long look at her fiancée before he would officially become her husband. After this, they would be closer than they had ever been, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

She studied his hands, rough and calloused from fighting youkai after youkai.  His broad shoulders that had carried her many a time over.  The long white hair currently being blown about by the gentle breeze, which she had discovered was silky smooth to the touch. Those two ears that she always loved to rub, just because they made him seem all the cuter, even when he was in his usual rages.

And of course, those liquid golden eyes that had caught her heart from the first moment they had opened and focussed on her face.  Never had there been something she had craved more than to look into those eyes when she needed reassurance, strength, or just something to smile about.

Kagome tightened her grip on his hand, and finally managed to smile as brightly as she could possibly muster.  It had taken a long, arduous journey to get where she was now, and despite the scars, she knew that the true journey was beginning this very moment. Some adventures were worth waiting for.

Miroku nodded her way, and she began reciting what she already knew off by heart. Never had his name sounded so sweet on her tongue as it did today.

"I Kagome, take thee, Inuyasha…"

~^~^~^~

Taa-daa! My first fic done! I must admit I did borrow the idea from a various fics I've read over the years from other shows, but I've tried to make this one original…if you have questions, comments, feedback, or you just like sending out emails, feel free to give me a shout at: sail_the_seas@hotmail.com


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